Language
Because of the alarming level of antisemitism that has grown like a poisonous fungus in Australia, a Speccie reader (Sandra)…
Language
‘Said Hanrahan’ is a phrase from a bush ballad, usually uttered to identify a prophet of doom, gloom and utter…
Language
A Speccie reader (Noel) wants to know if the media is using ‘decimated’ correctly, when a commenter calls on Hamas…
Language
Our esteemed editor asks about the word ‘irits’. Is it, he asks, British or American or authentically Aussie. The good…
Language
The online world breeds some very strange bits of language, and none are stranger than the word ‘catfishing’. This names…
Language
From time to time there are journalists who like to aggrandise their humble trade by claiming they are ‘speaking truth…
Language
When the President of the United States in Donald Trump, and there is an old English word ‘trumpery’ – clearly…
Language
The recent severe weather events on the east coast were labelled (by our official Weather Bureau) as a ‘bomb cyclone’…
Language
Social psychologist Irving Janis coined the term ‘groupthink’ in 1971. So, let’s see if I can break that down, and…
Language
Is ‘de-escalate’ in the running to be the Word of the Year for 2025? Or (as seems more likely) the…
Language
A short time ago I was chatting with the former deputy prime minister of Australia John Anderson about the sort…
Language
Is ‘de-escalate’ in the running to be the Word of the Year for 2025? Or (as seems more likely) the…
Language
When a letter to the editor called a political talking head a ‘dingbat’ I searched for the origin of the…
Language
Speccie reader (Joshua) asks about the expression ‘unrealised capital gains’ and in particular that worrying adjective. Well, ‘unrealised’ has been…
Language
Calling all lovers of our language – the semicolon is at risk of becoming extinct! Forget about the bilby or…
Language
Speccie reader Alan writes to say he was having a conversation about Liberal party factions, and (strangely enough!) two expressions…
Language
I have wanted to write a column on ‘common sense’ for a long time – but it is a surprisingly…
Language
Joe Hildebrand excitedly told me about a new word he had come across while doing a Times cryptic crossword puzzle…
Language
The New York Times has coined the expression ‘dark Woke’ to describe the current strategy being used by the Democratic…
Language
In the Weekend Australian I read a review of a book about AI and its disastrous impact on undergraduate student…
Language
Everyone who has ever worked in an election campaign knows what a ‘corflute’ is. We have all seen them even…
Language
At the end of this year (as every year) the dictionaries of the world will announce their choice for ‘word…
Language
In a recent post-budget interview Treasurer Jim Chalmers claimed his tax cuts (worth about a Mars Bar a day) are…
Language
Are you a ‘pejorist’? I wouldn’t blame you if you were. I am currently reading Melanie Phillips’ brilliant book The…
Language
It’s easy to picture the situation: a politician who has been an outspoken supporter of China (insisting their government is…
